Sheldon, Iowa
| Sheldon, Iowa | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Motto: Families Come First | |
 Location of Sheldon, Iowa |
|
| Coordinates: 43°10′52″N 95°50′53″W / 43.18111°N 95.84806°WCoordinates: 43°10′52″N 95°50′53″W / 43.18111°N 95.84806°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 Iowa
|
| Counties | O'Brien, Sioux |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | Katricia Meendering |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.50 sq mi (11.65 km2) |
| • Land | 4.50 sq mi (11.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,427 ft (435 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,188 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 5,119 |
| • Density | 1,152.9/sq mi (445.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 51201 |
| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-72390 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0461558 |
| Website | City of Sheldon |
Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 5,188 at the 2010 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.
Sheldon had its start in the year 1873 by the building of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad through that territory. It was named for Israel Sheldon, a railroad promoter. It was early a strategic location on the rail for businesses from as far away as Minneapolis and Omaha.
Today, the city is at the crossroads of Iowa Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 18. The city's first financial institution, the Sheldon State Bank, closed in 1903. In 1961, the city made headlines when it was revealed that Burnice Geiger had embezzled more than two million dollars from the Sheldon National Bank, operated by her father. Geiger worked there as a cashier and was the bank's largest stockholder. She was sentenced to fifteen years in prison in the same year, but paroled in 1966. Today, the city is most known for its annual display of marigolds and the moniker of its local schools' athletic teams - the Orabs. The name stands for the school colors orange and black. Sheldon High School also hosts the Sheldon High School Summer Theatre program. Sheldon is the home of Northwest Iowa Community College and the Carnegie Library, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Sheldon was mentioned on page 13 of the Tim O'Brien book If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home: "Together we watched trombones and crepe-paper floats move down mainstreet. The bands and floats represented Sheldon, Tyler, Sibley, Jackson, and a dozen other neighboring towns".
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